Multi-genre author Susan Whitfield writes the Logan Hunter Mystery series: Genesis Beach, Just North of Luck,Hell Swamp, Sin Creek and Sticking Point. She authored Killer Recipes, a unique cookbook, and wrote a women's fiction, Slightly Cracked. She is currently writing an historical fiction titled Sprig of Broom. Susan interviews authors and industry experts on the blog. Web site: www.susanwhitfieldonline.com

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Monday, August 5, 2013

Sue Ann Jaffarian

Sue Ann Jaffarian is the author of three critically acclaimed and
best-selling mystery series: The Odelia Grey series, the Ghost of Granny Apples
series, and the Madison Rose Vampire Mystery series. In addition to mysteries,
Sue Ann also writes general fiction and short stories, and is a motivational
speaker and full-time paralegal in Los
Angeles.

I've read the Odelia Grey series and the Apples series. I can attest that Sue Ann is a talented writer.

Welcome to the blog, Sue Ann.

Thanks, Susan!

How has living in L.A. affected
your writing?

Both my
Odelia Grey series and Ghost of Granny Apples series are based in Southern
California. When writing, I try to give the reader a sense of the congestion
and awful traffic, as well as the diversity of the residents. I think if there
is one influence on my books, it would be the diversity of Southern California,
which is fun to weave in and out of the stories and characters.

How many books have you written?

To date, I have written 15 novels, 1 novella, and 6 short
stories. You can bump the novels up to 17 if you count the first two that were never published. By the end of the year I will have finished
another novel and novella.

Give a short synop of your next book, Secondhand Stiff.

Coming out in December is Secondhand Stiff, my 8th
Odelia Grey novel. Odelia’s mother, Grace Littlejohn, is visiting from New
Hampshire for Thanksgiving and she and Odelia tag along with Ina, Greg’s
cousin, to a storage auction where a dead body of Ina’s philandering husband is
displayed in one of the storage units up for sale.

In March, Berkley released my 1st novella, The
Silent Ghost, which features Kelly Whitecastle, the daughter of the series’
protagonist Emma Whitecastle, who has recently discovered her own talents for
communicating with ghosts. In The Silent
Ghost, Kelly and the ghost of Granny Apples come to the aid of a young
journalist. The second novella, Dummy of a Ghost, will be out this coming March
and will also feature Kelly.

In April, Berkley will release Ghost of a Gamble, the 4th
full-length Ghost of Granny Apples novel, in which Emma Whitecastle and Granny
head to Las Vegas to help out Emma’s mentor, psychic Milo Ravenscroft, with a
personal problem that leads to a kidnapping.

Do your characters take on a life of their own? If so, which
is your favorite?

Oh yes! It’s as if they live all crowded together in my
apartment, jostling for my attention
along with my two cats. They never seem to leave me alone when I’m home, like
the place is haunted with their spirits, as if they are just waiting to jump
onto the page using me as the channel. I
don’t know if I have a favorite. Odelia
Grey, being my first born, is definitely a fav, but I love writing Mike Steele,
her boss. When the two of them are in a scene, they come alive right in front
of me like a couple of sparring siblings.

What challenges did you face while writing this book?

Time is always a challenge. It is for any writer, but
especially those of us juggling a couple of series and a day job. It’s not enough to balance writing more than
one book, but also wedging in reviewing and editing comments from the publisher
while working on something else.

Do you travel to do research or for inspiration? Can you
share some special places with us?

I often travel for my Ghost of Granny Apples series. It’s a
paranormal series about solving the crimes and/or deaths of ghosts and often
involves historical background. For that series I have traveled to Catalina
Island, Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, Las Vegas and Julian, California. They have all been a lot of fun, but one of
the most interesting trip was Jim Thorpe, where I was given a private tour of
the Old Jail, supposedly haunted by the ghosts of several Molly McGuires who
were executed there.

What do you think is the greatest lesson you’ve learned
about writing so far? What advice can you give new writers?

Patience. Patience with your work. Patience with your
publisher. Patience with your own tired brain. A book can’t be “good
enough.” It has to be the best you can
produce, even if you are on a tight deadline.

Where do you store ideas for later use: in your head, in a
notebook, or on a spreadsheet?

I store them on my computer, which is always backed up.
Often, as soon as an idea hits me, I will write a very brief synopsis, as well
as the first few pages of the book, to get me started. Then I file it away until it’s time to work on
it. That could be a few months or a few years, but I’m not starting with a
blank page. The story line for the 9th Odelia Grey novel, which I’m
writing now, came to me about eight years ago and was stored away until the
time was right in the series to introduce it. It’s a good thing the series has
lasted so long!

Right now, while I’m writing the 9th Odelia Grey
book, I also have the 10th one started because a few months ago an
idea struck me while I was at the car wash. As soon as I returned home, I
pounded out the entire first chapter, almost without hesitation. That often
happens. I have several other partially started books awaiting my attention for
when the time is right. The documents section of my computer is filled with
files labeled with the names of novels that may or may not ever see daylight,
but they are there when I’m ready for them. When I come across interesting
information or themes that I think will
work in a novel, I’ll save it and store it in a hard file to refer back to at a
later time.

Can you tell us your future writing goals/projects?

As I mentioned, I’m currently working on the 9th
Odelia Grey novel. It’s working title is Murder Ball. When a friend of Greg and
Odelia’s is suspected of killing another quadriplegic athlete, they are hot on
the trail to prove him innocent.

Also, I’m working on Dummy of a Ghost, the novella mentioned
earlier, and on my 5th Ghost of Granny Apples novel, still unnamed.

Where can folks learn more about your books and events?

www.sueannjaffarian.comAnd they can follow me on Facebook and
Twitter. I am very active on both, and
there is a Sue Ann Jaffarian Fan Club on Facebook in which we discuss all kinds
of books and hold contests.

I started writing fiction seriously 15 years ago, Mary. My first 2 novels were never published, but were short listed according to my then agent. Then I turned my attention to mysteries and magic followed.

About Me

I wrote the Logan Hunter Mystery series: Genesis Beach, Just North of Luck, Hell Swamp, Sin Creek and Sticking Point. Slightly Cracked is my first women's fiction and I also authored unique cookbook, Killer Recipes. I'm currently working on an historical fiction, titled Sprig of Broom. My Web site is www.susanwhitfieldonline.com
KILLER RECIPES, features recipes from mystery writers across the country. Profits for this book are donated to cancer research.
Sites I follow:
www.coldcoffeepress.com
www.coldcoffeecafe.com
www.booktown.ning.com
http://www.pmterrell.blogspot.com
http://murderby4.blogspot.com
http://www.mysterywritingismurder.blogspot.com
www.bloodredpencil.blogspot.com
www.womenofmystery.net
www.sistersincrime.org
http://suspensebyanne.blogspot.com
http://murdersousmusings.blogspot.com